The present invention is related to a water outlet structure of a ceramic control valve for a single-handled faucet, comprising a valve body having a housing chamber for a regulating seat with a control stick joined thereto to be adapted therein, and an upper switching control valve, having a regulating cavity of proper width and length defining the central lower bottom thereof, matching to a lower switching control valve and a switching control base. When the handle of a faucet is pried upwards from the center for the discharge of cold water, the upper switching control valve activated by the control stick thereof will slide forwards with the regulating cavity moved therewith to open a cold water inlet hole and sealed up a hot water inlet hole of the lower switching control valve thereof via a slant plane facet, preventing the waste of energy and the danger of burning the users by accident. Besides, the regulating cavity increased in width and defined by plane surfaces can also keep the discharge of water to the maximum in a smooth manner.
Please refer to FIG. 1. A conventional water outlet structure of a ceramic control valve for a single-handled faucet is mainly made up of a valve body 10 having a housing chamber 11 disposed at the center for a regulating seat 20 with a control stick 21 joined thereto to be adapted therein, and an upper switching control valve 30 having an elongated oval regulating hole 31 defined at the center thereof matching to cold/hot water inlet holes 41, 42 and a water outlet hole 43 of a lower switching control valve 40, and cold/hot water inlet passages 51, 52 and a water outlet passage 53 of a switching control base 50.
Please refer to FIG. 2. In practical use, the handle of a faucet is pried upwards from the center for the discharge of water, activating the control stick 21 to slide forwards the upper switching control valve 20 and the elongated oval regulating hole 21 therewith, opening both the cold/hot water inlet holes 41, 42 of the lower switching control valve 40 thereof in communication with the elongated oval regulating hole 21 thereof for cold/hot water to come out from the cold/hot water passages 51, 52 of the switching control base 50 thereof. Via the elongated oval regulating hole 21′ thereof, cold/hot water is discharged from the water outlet hole 43 and the water outlet passage 53 thereof respectively for use.
There are some drawbacks to such conventional water outlet structure of a ceramic control valve for a single-handled faucet. First, people usually pry up the handle of a faucet from the center in hand-washing, which will activate the discharge of cold/hot water at the same time, automatically igniting the hot water heater and unnecessarily resulting in the waste of energy like gas, electricity, or coals, etc. Second, the instant on-and-off of the hot water heater within the short time of hand-washing may cause the insufficiency of the ignition thereof and result in the leakage of gas, jeopardizing the safety of the household. Third, the users might carelessly get burned by hot water when prying up the handle of the faucet from the center in hand-washing.
Please refer to FIG. 3. Another conventional water outlet structure of a ceramic control valve for a single-handled faucet comprises a valve body 10′ having a housing chamber 11′ disposed at the center for a regulating seat 20′ with a control stick 21′ joined thereto to be adapted therein. The regulating seat 20′ is engaged with an upper switching control valve 30′, a lower switching valve 40′, and a switching control base 50′. At the central lower bottom of the upper switching control valve 30′ is disposed a regulating groove 31′ having an are plane extending outwards at one side and a straight plane 311′ defining at the other side thereof. The lower switching control valve 40′ has a large arc cold water inlet bole 41′ and a small arc hot water inlet hole 42′ with an inner straight facet 421′ disposed at one side thereof, and a central water outlet hole 43′ disposed at the other side thereof. The regulating groove 31′ of the upper switching control valve 30′ is matched to the large and small cold/hot water inlet holes 41′, 42′ and the water outlet hole 43′ of the lower switching control valve 40′, and cold/hot water inlet passages 51′, 52′ and a water outlet passage 53′ of the switching control base 50.
Please refer to FIG. 4. In practical use, the handle of a faucet is pried upwards from the center for the discharge of cold water, activating the control stick 21′ to slide forwards the upper switching control valve 20′ with the straight plane 311′ of the regulating groove 31′ thereof moved therewith to abut the inner straight facet 421′ of the small arc hot water inlet hole 42′ for sealing up the discharge of hot water. Thus, via the regulating groove 31′, cold water coming out from the cold water passage 52′ of the switching control base 50′ thereof and flowing through the large arc cold water inlet hole 41′ thereof is discharged from the water outlet passage 53′ thereof for use.
There are some disadvantages to the second conventional water outlet structure of a ceramic control valve for a single-handled faucet. Most of all, the regulating groove 31′ is rather narrow in width which permits only a small quantity of water to flow therethrough. Besides, an A-shaped space is defined at one side by the arc plane of the regulating groove 31′ thereof which can hinder the smooth discharge of cold water therefrom.